Iron County register., 1887-12-29

been decided by our highest judicial
authorities. Their construction anC
operation, by private corporations, il
/, not right, but privilge, granted BY
the people through legal agencies. The
right of eminent domain to the lanC
upon which said lines are, or may here
after be erected, is inherent in the peo
ernment, therefore, has the right te
resume possession of the land aud al
its appurtenances whenever it may
deem it proper to do so. And ours il
assembled to be "a government Of the
people, by the people, for the people,
How, then, can there be any "patern.
alism" in the act of the original, inner.
ent owner of right to property, and
its franchises, resuming the right and
ownership of the property owned? AS
already suggested, the assumption that
there is any "paternalism" about the
doing of it. is very transparent sole
cism. AS well might it be said that
an individual Is or may be the father OF
himself. Had the phrase quoted been
uttered in Russia by Nihilist, "a low
er of liberty" as contradistinguished
from the despotism of the Gear, could
see the logic of it and approve it, too.
AS to the "short-sightedness of
those who advocate the policy, not to
say public necessity. of the government t.,
our government, assuming the control
of our telegraph lines and running
them, have this to say: Twenty-Five
required large use of telegraphing-one
which gave me a..much more than or
dinary opportunity for seeing the uses
and abuses Incident thereto-I came to
the conclusion that even then good poll
icy would warrant the government in
assuming control of and operating our
entire telegraphic system, and saw, or
fancied saw, the absolute necessity
for government doing this very thing
in the then near future. With me
"time but the impression deeper
makes" And am happy in being
able to say that what. twenty-five years
ago, was the view and voice of sipgle
individual, is to-day voiced by many
ten thousands of intelligent persons,
including net few of the ablest and
the wisest statesmen in the land. /
know not that "'tis the sunset of life
gives NE mystical lore" but fancy
that see that looming events cast
their shadows BEFORE" and my vision
assures me that at no distant day the
voice of the people will demand of and
compel Congress to enact laws giving
to the people the full and absolute con-
troll in the operating Of our entire tele-
graph system, just as it now does, and
for more than century has done. with
our most admirable, aud, as rule,
most admirably managed, postal sys-
teuy When this has been done there
will, as hope and believe, be an end
of that species of "paternalism" with
which the Garrett Could
Green "syndicates" have for many, far
too many, years played lord and mas
Ter over our people, abusing the privil-
eges 30 literally granted them, not on
ly through extortionate charges for
services rendered, but by unwarranted
and most unrighteous interference in
the financial and political affairs of the
entire country.
Why should not this policy be inaug
urt ted in our country in the matter of
telegraphy Other countries have
adopted it and carried on most success-
fully for many years. In the case of
these countries the policy has clearly
been one of "paternalism, for will
them, as a rule, the people have but
little, if not absolutely nothing, to do
in the management of governmental
affairs. With US the people are assum-
ed to be clothed with all power in such
matters when this is not by law dele
gated to other agencies. Will my good
friend, the editor of the REGISTER. be
pleased to give US his reasons for the
faith that is in him, in this connection,
instead of criticising the supposed
short-sightedness of those who differ
with him therein. J. M.
Kaolin, Iron county, No., Dec. Is.